Visual automatic liquid feeder

ABSTRACT

A visual automatic liquid feeder having a fluid holding container with a transparent wall and an inlet pipe for fluid communicating with the container at its bottom. The top of the container carries a depending dip tube that extends downwardly into the container and has its lower end spaced a slight distance above the container bottom. An axial bore in the dip tube extends from the lower end of the tube and communicates with an output pipe for the fluid. A suction on the outlet pipe causes fluid in the container to flow into the pipe. An adjustable valve controls the flow of fluid passing from the container through the axial bore in the dip tube and out through the outlet tube. A radial branch bore in the dip tube leads from the axial bore to the top of the container interior so as to create a vacuum in the container that will draw fluid through the inlet pipe into the container until the fluid closes the entrance end of the radial branch bore.

O United States Patent 1191 1111 3,789,877

Noren et a1. Feb. 5, 1974 1 VISUAL AUTOMATIC LIQUID FEEDER [57] ABSTRACT [76] gg'g'gm'fgfigf g'jf A visual automatic liquid feeder having a fluid holding Francisco Calif. 9 412 4 container with a transparent wall and an inlet pipe for fluid communicating with the container at its bottom. Filed; 9 1972 The top of the container carries a depending dip tube that extends downwardly into the container and has its [21] Appl' 234,232 lower end spaced a slight distance above the container bottom. An axial bore in the dip tube extends from the UaS. 1 lower end of the tube and communicates with an out- Int. Cl. put for the A Suction on the outlet 1 1 Field of ch 137/205, 5 116/117 causes fluid in the container to fiow into the pipe. An 3 /559 adjustable valve controls the flow of fluid passing from the container through the axial bore in the dip tube References Ciled and out through the outlet tube. A radial branch bore UNITED STATES PATENTS in the dip tube leads from the axial bore to the top of 1,534,939 v4/1925 Fuge 116/117 x the container imefior as to create a vacuum in the 1,693,031 ll/l928 Hastings.' 116/117 Container that will draw fluid through the inlet P p 2,536,492 1/1951 Dunn 137 205 into the ntainer until the fluid closes the entrance 2,939,460 6/1960 Sorensen.... 128/276 end of the radial branch bore. 3,492,991 2/1970 Dyer 128/276 X g 7 1,428,670 9/1922 Williams 116/117 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Primary Examiner-Alan Cohan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William R. Piper PAIENTEDFEB sum SHEEI 1 0F 2 VISUAL AUTOMATIC LIQUID FEEDER CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION In our copending U.S. Pat. application on a Timed Cycle Method of Washing, Rinsing and Sterilizing Dishes, Ser. No. 189,711, filed Oct. 15, 1971, we (IIS- closed three of our visual automatic liquid feeders used in connection with a dishwashing machine. They were used to supply a liquid wetting agent, a liquid sterilizing agent and a liquid detergent to the water that was being used to wash and rinse the dishes. The automatic feeders made it possible to place three five gallon jars on the floor, each jar containing one of the three fluid agents. The intake pipes to the automatic feeders extended to the jars and the outlet pipes from the feeders communicated with venturis where the incoming water to the dishwasher created an entraining action that would draw a predetermined volume of the fluid agent into the dishwasher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention. In commercial dishwashers it is customary to add wetting and sterilizing agents and detergents to the wash and rinse waters. In certain dishwashers the washing, rinsing and sterilizing operations are time controlled and all the operator needs to do is to place the soiled dishes in the wash and rinse compartment and depress the starting button. The dishwashing machine will then perform its washing, rinsing and sterilizing cycles automatically and in proper timecontrolled sequence and will shut off the machine from further operation when these cycles are completed. The wetting, sterilizing and detergent agents are usually supplied from large jars and since the dishwasher automatically draws the fluid agents from these jars during the operation of the machine, the operator has no way of ascertaining when any jar is emptied of its contents.

Our visual automatic liquid feeder was invented to overcome the above-mentioned handycap. With this type of feeder it is possible to place the large jar of the liquid agent, such as containing a wetting, sterilizing or detergent agent, on the floor and position the feeder on top of the dishwasher where the liquid agent is delivered into the feeder before it is fed into the machine. The transparent wall of the feeder will indicate to the operator whether the large jar of the liquid detergent has been depleted because when the liquid level in the feeder starts to fall, the operator knows that the large jar is empty and he can replace it with a new one before the liquid in the feeder is used up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of our invention is to provide a visual automatic liquid feeder that can be placed on the top of a machine, such as on an automatic dishwasher, and includes a transparent container that has an inlet pipe for liquid extending from the bottom of the container to a large jar of liquid which is to be fed into the container as needed. A fluid outlet pipe extends from the top of the container to a place in the machine where the fluid is to be delivered. Novel means is provided for creating a suction in the outlet pipe of sufficient strength to create a vacuum in the top of the interior of the ocntainer so that liquid will be drawn from the large jar and delivered to the container through the inlet pipe. Also, novel means is provided in the container for automatically shutting off any vacuum in the container when it is filled with liquid. The advantage of the visual automatic liquid feeder is that the operator can ascertain when the large jar is emptied of its liquid contents because this will be shown by a lowering of the liquid level in the container. The operator then can substitute a new jar of liquid and connect it to the inlet pipe for the container without stopping the operation of the machine. Also, the operator will know when to make the change. If the liquid feeder is not used, the operator would have to guess as to when the jar is empty and it might be possible that the machine had already depleted the jar of its liquid and for that interval of time when the jar is empty, no liquid would be delivered to the mahcine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the visual automatic liquid feeder.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through a part of the automatic liquid feeder and is taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and shows a part of the automatic liquid feeder and it is on the same enlarged scale as FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates one use for our device where it forms a part of a timed cycle method of washing, rinsing and sterilizing dishes in a dishwashing machine.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of a venturi used for creating a suction in our device whereby liquid is drawn from a supply source disposed at a lower level than our device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In carrying out our invention, we provide a visual automatic liquid feeder indicated generally at A in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The device comprises a transparent cylindrical body 1, ajbase 2 and a cover 3. An inlet conduit B for a liquid extends through the base 2 and communicates with the interior of the transparent body 1. A dip tube C extends through an opening 4 provided in the cover 3 and its lower end is spaced a slight distance above the inner surface 5 of the base 2, see FIG. 3. The dip tube C has a central bore 6 that extends upwardly from the bottom of the tube. The top 7 of the dip tube C is cemented to a header D that has a cylindrical portion 8 of the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the dip tube and this cylindrical portion is received in the opening 4 in the cover 3, see FIG. 4. The header D has an outwardly extending flange 9 that contacts with the top of the cover.

The header D has a central bore 10 whose lower end communicates with the bore 6 in the dip tube C, and whose upper end leads into a compartment ll provided in the upper portion of the header D, see FIG. 4. A valve adjustment plug E has a threaded portion 12 that is received in a threaded portion 13 in the compartment 11. The valve adjustment plug E has an integral metering rod 14 that is received in the bore 10 in the header D. The outer diameter of the metering rod 14 is slightly less than the diameter of the central bore 10 and the lower end of the metering rod 14is provided with a V-shaped groove 15 that is short in length, see FIG. 4. An 0 ring 16 encircles the lower end of the metering rod 14 and makes a liquid tight seal between the metering rod 14 and the central bore 10. An upper O ring 17 also encircles the metering rod 14 and makes a tight seal so as to prevent any leakage of liquid into the compartment 11 in the plug E. A compression coil spring 18 is placed in the compartment and bears against the underside of the plug E for holding it in any position into which it has been rotated. The plug has a kerf 19 for receiving a screw driver bit, now shown, by means of which the plug can be rotated for advancing or retracting the metering rod 14 for moving any desired portion of the V-shaped groove 15 above the lower ring 16 so as to permit a desired amount of fluid to flow from the central bore 6 in the dip tube C past the lower 0 ring 16, and into the central bore 10 in the plug E, in a manner hereinafter described.

Again referring to FIG. 3, the dip tube C has a radially extending passage 20 that extends from the central bore 6 to the outer cylindrical surface of the dip tube. The passage 20 is disposed adjacent to the undersurface of the cover 3 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

FIGS. 1 and 4 show another fluid passage 21 extending from the central bore 10 in the plug E and communicating with a passage 22 in the cover 3. An outlet conduit F is connected to thebore 22, see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

We will now briefly describe the operation of the device as disclosed in FiGS. 1 to 5 inclusive and then will set forth one example of an actual use of the device in a dishwashing machine as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive, if the inlet conduit B is connected to a source of liquid, and if the outlet conduit F has a suction or a vacuum applied thereto, this suction or vacuum will also be applied in the passages 22 in the cover 3, the passage 21 in the header D, and in the central bore 10 in the header, see FIG. 4. The plug E has previously been adjusted to move the metering pin 14 a sufficient distance in the direction of its length in order to have the desired portion of the V- shaped groove 15 extend above the lower 0 ring 16,

. that encircles the metering pin. Therefore the suction or vacuum created in the centralbore 10 of the header D will extend through the V-shaped groove 15 and into the central bore 6 in the dip tube C. The bore 6 has the passage communicating therewith and with the top of the space within the body 1.

A vacuum will now be created within the cylindrical body 1 of sufficient strength to pull liquid through the inlet B and into the container A even though the source of liquid for the inlet conduit B is disposed below the container A. The liquid will flow into the container until it is filled and then if the suction or vacuum is still applied to the outlet conduit F, the liquid in the container will be drawn into the bore 6 in the dip tube C and will pass through the V-shaped groove 15 in the metering pin 14 and will enter the bore 10 in the header D. From this point the liquid will flow through the passages 21 and 22 and out through the outlet conduit F. Since the container wall 1 is transparent, the operator can see the level of the liquid in the container A, and when the level of the liquid in the container starts to drop, he knows that the liquid source of supply is depleted and he can connect the inlet conduit to a new source of liquid supply before the container A becomes empty. In this way a continuous supply of liquid can be furnished to the outlet conduit F, even while the inlet conduit B is being switched from a depleted source of liquid supply to a new source of liquid supply. Also, the liquid supply source may consist of a jar containing the liquid and resting on the floor while the transparent container A may be at the eye level of an operator in standing position. The suction or vacuum on the outlet conduit F is sufficient to lift the liquid through the inlet conduit B from the supply source and deliver it into the container A.

We will now describe one actual use of our device in a dishwashing machine of the type shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and disclosed in our copending US. Pat. application on a Timed Cycle Method of Washing, Rinsing and Sterilizing Dishes, Ser. No. 189,71 1, filed Oct. 15, 1971. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic isometric view showing a dishwasher by dot-dash lines when looking at the rear of the dishwasher and shows a part of the entire apparatus that incorporates one of our visual automatic liquid feeders A. The complete apparatus of FIG. 6 is disclosed in FIG. 2 of our copending case, US. Pat. Ser. No. 189,711, and in that FIG. 2, we make use of three of our liquid feeders.

The dishwasher G in FIG. 6 is shown by dot-dash lines, and the three sided door H is shown in closed position and extending between the top of the tank to the underside of a hood 51, see our US. Pat. No. 3,582,173, issued June I, l97l. The hood 51 is supported by a vertically extending back 52. We do not illustrate in FIG. 6 the mechanism for supporting the door H in raised or lowered position. Anupper wash and spray arm J is shown rotatably mounted under the hood 51, and a lower wash arm K is shown rotatably mounted in the tank 50 and below the rack of dishes, not shown, that are placed in the wash and rinse compartment enclosed by the door I-I when the latter is in closed position. The lower wash arm K will be positioned above the water level, not shown, in the tank.

We show a fresh hot water inlet pipe 53 in FIG. 6, and the flow of water is controlled by a solenoid valve 54. A water flow rator 55 is also mounted in the pipe 53. The pipe 53 communicates with a vacuum breaker 56 and another pipe 57 leads from the vacuum breaker to a one-way check valve 58. A pipe 59 leads from the check valve 58 to a T 60, and a pipe 61 leads from the T" to the upper wash arm J.

The lower wash arm K has a pipe 62 leading from it to a discharge reservoir 63. In actual practice the pipe 62 is straight and not bent as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6. Fresh hot water is fed to the discharge reservoir by a pipe 64 that extends from the T" 60 to the discharge reservoir 63. A pump L is operated by a motor M, after a certain volume of fresh hot water has been delivered to the dishwasher G and the fresh water valve 54 is closed. The water in the tank 50 will flow into a sump N, and the pump will draw this water from the sump and through a pipe 65 to the pump. The water is then forced by the pump through a pipe 66 to the discharge reservoir 63 where it will be directed to the lower wash arm K by means of the pipe 62 and where some of thewater will be directed from the discharge reservoir 63 to the upper wash arm J by the pipe 64, the T 60 and the pipe 61. The check valve 58 prevents any of the water flowing from the pipe 64 to the pipe 61 from entering the pipe 57.

During a part of the washing cycle a liquid detergent is fed into the wash water and that is when our visual automatic liquid feeder A is used. Note from FIG. 6 that the liquid feeder A is placed on top of the dishwasher where the transparent body of the feeder will be at eye level for the operator of the dishwasher. Also note that the jar P that contains the liquid detergent is placed on the floor and the inlet conduit 13 for the feeder A and shown by the single line in FIG. 6, extends to the jar P. The outlet conduit F, shown by another single line, extends from the liquid feeder A to a venturi Q, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6, and schematically in FIG. 7.

A suction is created in the conduit F by the venturi Q in the following manner. A branch pipe 67 is connected to the hot water inlet pipe 53 by a T 68 and the other end of this branch pipe connects with the venturi Q, see FIGS. 6 and 7. A solenoid controlled valve 69 is placed in the branch pipe 69 and when a liquid detergent from the feeder A is to deliver detergent into the sump N, the valve 69 opens for a predetermined time period and delivers water to the venturi. The water flows through two passages 70 and 71 in the venturi and the passage 71 communicates with a pipe 72 that leads to the sump N. The conduit F connects with a passage 73 that communicates with the passage 71 at a point where the flow of water along the passage 71 will create an entraining action that will draw the liquid detergent from the passage 73 and mix it with the water as the water flows into the sump N. An adjustment screw 74 controls how much water and detergent are fed into the sump N while the solenoid valve remains open.

We have given one example of how the visual automatic liquid feeder operates in a dishwasher. The jar P is supported by the floor and the liquid feeder A is supported at eye level on the dishwasher. The entraining action created by the venturi is sufficient to draw liquid detergent from the container 1, see FIG. 1, the liquid entering the conduit F through the bore 6 in the dip tube C. When the level of the liquid in the transparent container 1 starts to drop to uncover the radial passage 20, a vacuum will be created in the top of the container of sufficient strength to draw liquid from the jar P and have it flow upwardly in the conduit B and replenish the fluid in the container 1 until it is filled and will close the radial passage 20. The conduit B extends to the bottom of the jar P and when the jar becomes empty, the liquid level in the feeder A will start to drop and the liquid will not be replenished. The operator will notice this and can substitute a full jar of liquid for the empty one before the container 1 becomes drained. In this way the dishwasher G or any other device that uses the device can always have a supply of liquid detergent, or any other kind of liquid to be delivered to the dishwasher or other machine.

We claim:

1. A visual automatic liquid feeder comprising:

a. a container for holding a reserve quantity of liquid and having a cover and at least a portion of its wall transparent so that the level of the liquid in the container can be viewed;

b. a dip tube extending downwardly into the container from the cover and having its lower inlet end spaced a slight distance above the bottom of the container for conveying liquid from said container;

c. an outlet conduit communicating with the outlet end of said dip tube;

d. a non-perforated fluid inlet tube communicating with the interior of the container, said inlet tube having its inlet end communicating with a body of liquid disposed at a lower level than the bottom of said container;

e. means for creating a suction in said outlet conduit and in said dip tube for establishing a sufficient vacuum within said dip tube and container for drawing liquid through said inlet tube from the body of liquid for causing the liquid to enter said container; and

f. said dip tube having a branch inlet communicating with the container interior adjacent to the underside of said cover;

g. whereby the suction created in said outlet conduit and said dip tube will extend through said branch inlet for creating a vacuum within said container of sufficient strength to drawn fluid into the container to fill it up to the entrance of said branch inlet that communicates with said dip tube so that the reserve quantity of fluid in said container will feed into said outlet conduit and provide sufficient time for the operator to connect said inlet tube to another body of supply liquid,

an adjustable valve is positioned at the junction of said dip tube and said outlet conduit and at a point above said branch opening for controlling the flow of fluid flowing into said outlet conduit from said dip tube, said dip tube has a passage therein communicating with said branch opening;

said valve including a valve rod axially aligned within said dip tube passage and having a diameter equal to that of the passage;

said valve also including adjustable means for moving said valve rod in the direction of its length for closing said dip tube passage;

said valve rod having a radial passage in the end that can close said dip tube passage, the radial passage extending substantially from the center of said rod to its periphery; said means being adjustable for moving the rod for bringing a desired portion of said radial passage into registration with said dip tube passage for controlling the effective opening of the dip tube passage that communicates with said fluid outlet.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and in which a. an O sealing ring encircles said valve rod adjacent to the radial passage in the end of said rod;

b. said adjustable valve rod moving means including a plug threaded into a threaded recess in said cover, said plug supporting said valve rod, said plug when rotated moving said rod longitudinally for moving a desired portion of said radial passage in said rod past said O ring for permitting this portion of said passage that is moved above said 0" ring to allow fluid to flow therethrough from said dip tube passage into said outlet. 

1. A visual automatic liquid feeder comprising: a. a container for holding a reserve quantity of liquid and having a cover and at least a portion of its wall transparent so that the level of the liquid in the container can be viewed; b. a dip tube extending downwardly into the container from the cover and having its lower inlet end spaced a slight distance above the bottom of the container for conveying liquid from said container; c. an outlet conduit communicating with the outlet end of said dip tube; d. a non-perforated fluid inlet tube communicating with the interior of the container, said inlet tube having its inlet end communicating with a body of liquid disposed at a lower level than the bottom of said container; e. means for creating a suction in said outlet conduit and in said dip tube for establishing a sufficient vacuum within said dip tube and container for drawing liquid through said inlet tube from the body of liquid for causing the liquid to enter said container; and f. said dip tube having a branch inlet communicating with the container interior adjacent to the underside of said cover; g. whereby the suction created in said outlet conduit and said dip tube will extend through said branch inlet for creating a vacuum within said container of sufficient strength to drawn fluid into the container to fill it up to the entrance of said branch inlet that communicates with said dip tube so that the reserve quantity of fluid in said container will feed into said outlet conduit and provide sufficient time for the operator to connect said inlEt tube to another body of supply liquid, an adjustable valve is positioned at the junction of said dip tube and said outlet conduit and at a point above said branch opening for controlling the flow of fluid flowing into said outlet conduit from said dip tube, said dip tube has a passage therein communicating with said branch opening; said valve including a valve rod axially aligned within said dip tube passage and having a diameter equal to that of the passage; said valve also including adjustable means for moving said valve rod in the direction of its length for closing said dip tube passage; said valve rod having a radial passage in the end that can close said dip tube passage, the radial passage extending substantially from the center of said rod to its periphery; said means being adjustable for moving the rod for bringing a desired portion of said radial passage into registration with said dip tube passage for controlling the effective opening of the dip tube passage that communicates with said fluid outlet.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and in which a. an ''''O'''' sealing ring encircles said valve rod adjacent to the radial passage in the end of said rod; b. said adjustable valve rod moving means including a plug threaded into a threaded recess in said cover, said plug supporting said valve rod, said plug when rotated moving said rod longitudinally for moving a desired portion of said radial passage in said rod past said ''''O'''' ring for permitting this portion of said passage that is moved above said ''''O'''' ring to allow fluid to flow therethrough from said dip tube passage into said outlet. 